He played one test for the Kiwis in 1919 against Australia, becoming the 135th player for the national side, in addition to one game for Auckland.
[1] He had seven siblings, one brother (Charles), and six sisters (Mabel, Ethel, Nellie, Winifred, Alfreda, and Vera).
Charles was captaining the Welcome, which was making its way to Sydney Harbour when he was swept overboard and lost in heavy seas off the coast.
Helander played alongside the likes of Craddock Dufty, and against Frank Delgrosso, George Iles, and Sam Lowrie.
Helander's teammates included a large number of New Zealand rugby league representatives such as Frank Delgrosso, George Iles, Craddock Dufty, Dougie McGregor, Bert Laing, Horace Neal, Sam Lowrie, Tom Haddon, and Bert Avery, along with Olympic sprinter turned league player George Davidson.
Helander played at lock, wearing the number 13 jersey, replacing his North Shore Albions teammate Stan Walters who had moved into the front row.
[10] In 1920 Helander again turned out for the North Shore Albions, though at the start of the season they had decided to change their name to Devonport United after a merger with the Sunnyside League Football Club.
The try was described in the Auckland Star where he gained “possession and scored in a good position” with Arthur Matthews converting, and in the Observer as securing the ball “and with a speedy dash got over”.
[12][13] In 1921 Helander began the season again playing for Devonport United, however on 23 June at a Management Committee meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union he sought reinstatement into that code.
[19] Three weeks later, the championship final was replayed at Eden Park and this time Grafton won the match 13–8 and were crowned champions.
[20] Helander was selected for what could be called his full Auckland debut in a match with Taranaki at Eden Park.
Wellington won by 27 points to 19, with Helander sustaining an injury during the match which ruled him out of a following Taranaki game.
[25] He continued his occasional try-scoring habit when he “followed up his kick and beating off several attempted tackles scored”[26] against Newton in a 20–9 win.
[29] On their Southern tour they first played Taranaki and won 13–8, with Helander having “led the forwards in many exhilarating stunts, and was a power of strength to his side”.
[32] Otago won the match 11 to 3 in front of 14,000 at Carisbrook with Helander playing alongside Kiwi number 92, Karl Ifwersen.
[34] Auckland suffered their fifth straight loss with an 11–19 defeat to Wellington, with Helander scoring a “fine try in the second half.
In the 1924 annual general meeting he was elected to be deputy club captain, was in the Management Committee, and was a selector for the senior team (which he was still playing in).
[44] In 1926 he was elected on the management committee for the Grafton club, a position he also held in 1927 along with being a delegate to the Auckland Rugby Union.